Dutton: postal survey must settle same-sex marriage issue for Libs

Peter Dutton says the government must lock-in behind No vote and resist attempts to change law if majority oppose same-sex marriage.

Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton. Picture: AAP

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says the government must lock-in behind a No vote and resist future attempts to change the law if a majority of participants oppose redefining marriage in Malcolm Turnbull’s postal survey.

Mr Dutton today argued the postal vote should settle the issue of same sex marriage for the Liberal Party, as he took aim at “fringe elements” on the Yes campaign for hijacking the debate to push a broader agenda including the promotion of initiatives like the Safe Schools program.

The leading conservative also defended the government decision not to publicise the details of a bill to legalise same sex marriage unless a Yes vote was returned, rejecting advice from John Howard to produce the legislation prior to the close of the postal survey.

“John Howard is a respected elder of our party,” Mr Dutton told Sky News. “I have nothing but respect for John Howard.”

“The decision though the cabinet’s taken is that the bill will be drafted as a private members’ bill after the vote, if there is a Yes vote,” he said. “I’ve said very clearly for a long period of time that I believe in the traditional form of marriage. And that I will be voting No on a personal level in the plebiscite.”

Mr Dutton said that, if there was a majority vote for change, he would “adhere to that democratic outcome” and vote Yes to legalise same sex marriage in the parliament.

But he urged the government to also accept the outcome of the plebiscite if it returned a majority vote for the No campaign and to resist future attempts to change the law.

“If the No vote is successful then I’ve been very clear as well not only about my position but what I think the government’s position should be. And that is that this matter is at and end for the Liberal Party, that there will be no change to the existing law,” he said.

Mr Dutton said that, in the event of a Yes vote, the government would allow a private members’ bill to go before the parliament and argued there would be a “series of votes” on aspects of that bill.

This would allow MPs to put up protections for religious freedoms for possible inclusion in the legislation with Mr Dutton saying he “believed very strongly” in the need for religious protections.

Mr Dutton said the case for religious freedoms was strong because there were “fringe elements” on the Yes campaign who were “hijacking the marriage equality debate.”

“We’ve seen those people because they’ve been involved in Safe Schools programs and other social agendas. Their agenda is much wider than this. There is no question about that. They have no regard for religious institutions in this country,” he said.

“I’m not going to stand by and allow these fringe elements to attack what is a fundamental aspect of our society.”

Mr Dutton said he strongly endorsed the comments made yesterday by Treasurer Scott Morrison who assured Australians that religious freedoms would be prioritised in any bill to legalise same sex marriage.